bims-chumac 2022-10-09 papers

Issue of 2022–10–09
four papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society

Front Psychol. 2022 ;13 959124

The effect of facial attractiveness on micro-expression recognition.

Qiongsi Lin, Zizhao Dong, Qiuqiang Zheng, Su-Jing Wang.

Micro-expression (ME) is an extremely quick and uncontrollable facial movement that lasts for 40-200 ms and reveals thoughts and feelings that an individual attempts to cover up. Though much more difficult to detect and recognize, ME recognition is similar to macro-expression recognition in that it is influenced by facial features. Previous studies suggested that facial attractiveness could influence facial expression recognition processing. However, it remains unclear whether facial attractiveness could also influence ME recognition. Addressing this issue, this study tested 38 participants with two ME recognition tasks in a static condition or dynamically. Three different MEs (positive, neutral, and negative) at two attractiveness levels (attractive, unattractive). The results showed that participants recognized MEs on attractive faces much quicker than on unattractive ones, and there was a significant interaction between ME and facial attractiveness. Furthermore, attractive happy faces were recognized faster in both the static and the dynamic conditions, highlighting the happiness superiority effect. Therefore, our results provided the first evidence that facial attractiveness could influence ME recognition in a static condition or dynamically.

Keywords: emotion recognition; facial attractiveness; happy-face-advantage; micro-expression; micro-expression recognition

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.959124

Arch Sex Behav. 2022 Oct 03.

Measurement and Correlates of Zoophilic Interest in an Online Community Sample.

Alexandra M Zidenberg, Mark E Olver.

Sexual interest in animals (zoophilia) is a scant investigated topic owing partially to difficulties in assessing the behavior outside of a clinical setting. While there have been previous attempts to categorize individuals with a sexual interest in animals into classification systems, this requires extensive clinical interviews and psychometric testing. Previous classifications also lack clarity on the adjacent concept of furryism (i.e., interest in anthropomorphized animals) and how it may be related to zoophilia. As there are currently no validated psychometric measures of zoophilia, individuals with a sexual interest in animals are a challenging population to research and may be underdetected in clinical settings. The central aim of the present study was to examine the measurement and correlates of sexual attraction to nonhuman animals through the development and refinement of psychometric and visual stimulus measures of animal sexual interest. Participants included 1,228 respondents (72% zoophilic and 35% furries; 67% men and 22.9% women) recruited from the online community. The results indicated that a Sexual Interest in Animals-Self-Report (SIA-SR) scale had four distinct subscales with excellent discrimination for self-reported zoophilia. Moreover, endorsement of sexual interest in horses and dogs from visual stimuli was most common among the individuals in the sample, while dog and horse sexual and romantic attractiveness ratings also had the largest and most consistent associations with SIA-SR scores and self-reported zoophilia. The results contribute to a greater understanding of the sexual interest patterns for persons with zoophilia and have implications for theory, future research, and clinical practice.

Keywords: Bestiality; DSM-5; Furryism; Paraphilia; Psychometrics; Zoophilia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02429-x

Pers Individ Dif. 2022 Sep 28. 111919

Individual difference predictors of starting a new romantic relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

William J Chopik, Amy C Moors, Daniel J Litman, Megan S Shuck, Alexandra R Stapleton, Meghan C Abrom, Kayla A Stevenson, Jeewon Oh, Mariah F Purol.

Dramatic social changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the dating scene and the likelihood of people starting new relationships. What factors make individuals more or less likely to start a new relationship during this period? In a sample of 2285 college students (M age  = 19.36, SD = 1.44; 69.2 % women; 66.7 % White) collected from October 2020 to April 2021, anxiously attached and extraverted people were 10-26 % more likely to start a new relationship. Avoidantly attached and conscientious people were 15-17 % less likely to start a new relationship. How people pursued (or avoided) new romantic relationships closely mirrored their broader patterns of health and interpersonal behavior during the global pandemic.

Keywords: Attachment orientation; Big Five personality; COVID-19; Relationship initiation; Risk perception

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111919

Front Psychol. 2022 ;13 982102

Collaboration among psychological researchers, the government, and non-profit organizations for "Konkatsu" (marriage hunting) in Japan.

Takashi Nishimura, Toshihiko Souma, Mie Kito, Junichi Taniguchi, Yuji Kanemasa, Junko Yamada, Yuki Miyagawa.

In contemporary Japanese society, it is difficult to find a marriage partner, and therefore, "Konkatsu," the search for a marriage partner, has become a socially accepted activity in Japan. In response to this social challenge, in addition to private companies, governments and non-profit organizations are supporting individuals in their search for a marriage partner. This paper reviews statistical information related to marriage hunting published in Japan. In addition, some of the authors' collaborative activities and academic publications based on these activities are reviewed. Subsequently, the paper discusses and highlights the importance of helping individuals have confidence in their physical attractiveness.

Keywords: collaboration with government and non-profit organizations; collaborative research; konkatsu (marriage hunting); physical attractiveness; social implementation; the decline in the number of marriages in Japan

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.982102